Four die of suspected food poisoning in 2 separate cases in UP's Kaushambi and Prayagraj

PRAYAGRAJ: At least four persons, including three members of a Kaushambi-based family and a 40-year old man from Holagarh in Prayagraj district, died in two separate cases of suspected food poisoning in Kaushambi and Prayagraj districts, respectively, in the past 24 hours.
The police have collected food samples in both the cases and sent them for forensic laboratory tests.
In the first incident, three members of a family — Shivkali alias Pataraki (65), her daughter-in- law Seema Devi (25) and grandson Anurag (5) died in a suspected case of food poisoning at Chak Pinha village under the limits of Saray Akil police station of Kaushambi district late on Tuesday night.
Police said that two other family members — Kanhaiya alias Kandhai (30) and Sarita alias Sangeeta (30) — were undergoing treatment at SRN hospital in Prayagraj and their condition was stated to be stable.
Additional SP (Kaushambi) Samar Bahadur told TOI, “Initial police investigation has indicated food poisoning as the reason behind the death of the three persons. The samples of ‘atta’ (flour) and vegetables have been collected from the spot and sent for laboratory test.”
“The sample of ‘atta’ had foul odour,” he added.
Police said that there were seven members in the family ,including four adults and three minors.
While five of them took their dinner late on Tuesday evening, two minors did not have it as they went to bed early.
After having dinner, the condition of five members of the family started deteriorating one by one and it was the elderly woman who died first at home on Tuesday midnight.
The family members approached the neighbours and others who took the four seriously ill patients to hospital, but two of them died during treatment. The other two were undergoing treatment at SRN hospital.
Upon being alerted, a team of senior police officials and forensic experts rushed the spot and collected samples for testing. Police said that detailed investigations are underway and they were waiting for a post-mortem report.
In the second case of suspected food poisoning reported from Prayagraj district, a 40 year-old man identified as Sajjan Kumar, a resident of Bhagwatipur Khurhana village, died on Tuesday morning while four other family members were undergoing treatment at two separate private hospitals in trans-Ganga pocket.
Police said that all the five members of the family complained of food poisoning about a week back and were admitted for treatment to a private hospital under the jurisdiction of Holagarh police station of Prayagraj district. Samples of food were sent for laboratory tests.